Last updated October 2026
Kaiwhaiki is a small Māori settlement on the eastern flats of the Whanganui River, upriver from the city of Whanganui and inside Whanganui District. It is the home kāinga of the hapū Ngā Paerangi, of the iwi Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, and the site of Kaiwhaiki Marae.
The river is the landmark that defines the place: food-growing flats beside the awa, a hill pā once standing across the water, and a road in from State Highway 4 rather than a town centre. There is no shopping strip here, and the marae is a living community space, not a drop-in stop. This guide covers the settlement as a place to understand, how to reach it, and how to visit with respect.
Official Locality Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 150, up 9% since 2018
- Land area
- 21.17 km²
- Location
- 11.9 km north of central Whanganui
- Council
- Whanganui District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Papaiti, Brunswick, Upokongaro, Parikino
- Getting there
- Kaiwhaiki Road, which connects with State Highway 4. Travel is by private vehicle. The marae address on the council register is 584 Kaiwhaiki Road.
- Schools
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Kaiwhāiki, at Kaiwhaiki Marae, and Mere Te Aroha Te Kōhanga Reo, on Kaiwhaiki Road. No state primary or secondary school was confirmed in the settlement.
- Nearby landmarks
- Kaiwhaiki Marae and the twin-gabled wharenui Te Kiritahi; the Whanganui River; Ūpokongaro, closer to the city; Parikino, further upriver.
Who Lives in Kaiwhaiki
About 150 residents in 50 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
About Kaiwhaiki
Kaiwhaiki sits on river flats on the eastern side of the Whanganui River. A Whanganui District Council cultural assessment records these flats as traditional Ngā Paerangi land, and by the mid-1800s as the hapū’s main mahinga kai, or food-growing area.
Across the river, the fortified pā of Tunuhaere stood on a hill above the water. Most of the people lived there until a move onto the Kaiwhaiki flats was under way by the early 1840s.
The marae connects ancestrally to the waka Aotea, the maunga Ruapehu and the awa Whanganui. Its principal hapū is Ngā Paerangi, of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Council and Māori Maps both record the meeting house under the names Te Kiritahi and Te Rongo-o-te-poi (also written Rongotepoi).
Te Ara describes the house as a unique twin-gabled meeting house called Te Kiritahi. The marae stands on Māori freehold land, Kaiwhaiki A2C, administered through the Kaiwhaiki Land Trust.
In the 1840s Kaiwhaiki was still a small pā. In 1852 it became the first settlement on the Whanganui River to host a Catholic mission. The river remained the highway.
Early Māori used the Whanganui and its tributaries for travel, trade and fishing, and European riverboats later ran passengers, mail and freight between the city and the upper river. Shellrock quarried near Kaiwhaiki was used to build the Durie Hill war memorial tower in Whanganui.
Today Kaiwhaiki is a rural kāinga rather than a service town. Early learning is based at the marae through Te Kōhanga Reo o Kaiwhāiki, with Mere Te Aroha Te Kōhanga Reo also on Kaiwhaiki Road.
Te Ara records that the cultural group Te Matapihi is organised from Kaiwhaiki. Everyday shops, health services and most schooling are back in Whanganui. The settlement is a place of hapū life beside the river, not a visitor precinct with public facilities.
Getting There
The local road is Kaiwhaiki Road, which connects with State Highway 4 north of Whanganui. The council marae register gives the marae as 584 Kaiwhaiki Road. Mapped sources do not show a town centre, a shop, or a verified scheduled bus to the settlement, so plan on a private vehicle and carry what you need for the trip.
Kaiwhaiki is one of the lower river settlements, with Ūpokongaro closer to the city and Parikino, Ātene and Koriniti further upstream. It should not be treated as a casual pull-off on the main Whanganui River Road tourist drive.
The cultural record places the kāinga on the eastern flats, reached by its own road, with Tunuhaere across the water. If you are following the River Road towards Pipiriki, do not assume a public lookout, jetty or parking area at Kaiwhaiki.
Marae, Hapū and the River
Kaiwhaiki Marae is the centre of the settlement. Visits are by arrangement with the marae, not by wandering onto the ātea. The land is Māori freehold, and homes, the kōhanga and the wharenui are part of a working community.
If you are invited, follow the kawa you are given. Photography, swimming and walking off the public road should not be assumed.
The wider river is now recognised in law as Te Awa Tupua, an indivisible and living whole from the mountains to the sea, including its physical and metaphysical elements. That settlement, given effect by legislation after the 2014 deed signing at Rānana, belongs to the whole river and to Whanganui iwi. It is useful context for why this stretch of water is not just scenery.
Hapū remain kaitiaki of their own places along it. The Department of Conservation describes early pā, fishing weirs and river trade as part of that long relationship, while also warning that the river itself can rise quickly and is not a casual route.
For people thinking of spending time here, the practical picture is rural and river-based. There is no verified public playground, shop, café or campground in the settlement to list. The value of the place is the marae, the flats, and the awa.
Stay on the public road unless you have permission, and treat the river with the same caution you would anywhere on the Whanganui: it floods, banks can be private, and there is no confirmed public swimming spot at Kaiwhaiki.
Near Kaiwhaiki
Just outside Kaiwhaiki, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Where to Learn More
Te Ara: Whanganui places, river settlements: encyclopedia entry placing Kaiwhaiki among the river settlements, with the 1852 mission, Te Kiritahi and Te Matapihi.
Whanganui District Council marae register: Kaiwhaiki Marae: council record of the marae, hapū, wharenui names, address and ancestral connections.
Māori Maps: Kaiwhaiki Pā: marae directory entry for Ngā Paerangi, Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi, and the wharenui.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kaiwhaiki?
Kaiwhaiki is a rural settlement on the eastern flats of the Whanganui River, upriver from Whanganui city, in Whanganui District. It is reached by Kaiwhaiki Road.
Who are the hapū and iwi of Kaiwhaiki?
The principal hapū is Ngā Paerangi, of the iwi Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Council and Māori Maps also record ancestral ties to the waka Aotea, Ruapehu and the Whanganui River.
Can visitors go onto Kaiwhaiki Marae?
Only by arrangement. The marae and its land are a living hapū place on Māori freehold land, not a public reserve or walk-up attraction.
What is Te Kiritahi?
Te Kiritahi is the twin-gabled meeting house at Kaiwhaiki Marae. Council and Māori Maps also record the name Te Rongo-o-te-poi, or Rongotepoi, for the wharenui.
Is there a school or shop in Kaiwhaiki?
Early learning is through kōhanga reo, including Te Kōhanga Reo o Kaiwhāiki at the marae. No state school or local shop was confirmed in the settlement. Everyday services are in Whanganui.
How do I get to Kaiwhaiki?
Take Kaiwhaiki Road, which connects with State Highway 4. Plan to drive. A scheduled bus service to the settlement was not confirmed.
Is Kaiwhaiki a stop on the Whanganui River Road?
It is a lower-river settlement, but it sits on the eastern flats and is reached by Kaiwhaiki Road. Do not assume a public parking area, jetty or lookout if you are driving the River Road towards Pipiriki.
Why is Kaiwhaiki linked to the Durie Hill tower?
Te Ara records that shellrock quarried near Kaiwhaiki was used to build the Durie Hill war memorial tower in Whanganui. The tower itself is in the city, not in the settlement.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Whanganui only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Kaiwhaiki is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.